North Dakota State University

North Dakota State University is distinctive as a student-focused, land-grant, research university, ranked by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education among the top 108 public and private universities in the country. NDSU is in the elite category of "Research Universities/Very High Research Activity," with several programs ranked in the Top 100 by the National Science Foundation. NDSU is fully accredited as an institution by the Higher Learning Commission.Graduate students were first accepted in 1895, and a formal announcement of graduate studies has been carried in the bulletins since 1902. The Graduate School was formalized July 1, 1954, by approval of the North Dakota Board of Higher Education. The first Master of Science degree was awarded in 1899.Since then, graduate students have been in regular attendance and have participated in the scholarly activity of the campus. In 1959, the North Dakota Board of Higher Education first authorized certain departments to offer the Doctor of Philosophy degree. The first Ph.D. degrees were awarded in 1963. Currently, NDSU offers 50 doctoral degrees, 86 masters degrees, an education specialist degree and 12 certificate programs.